2008. Sans Serif is an alter ego of Forrest Fang, the talented multi-instrumentalist and composer whose most recent solo album Gongland was released on Projekt in 2000. He has also collaborated with Carl Weingarten on the album Invisibility released on The Foundry, as well as contributing instrumentally to the works of other artists such as Robert Rich.

Unlike the more traditionally structured and "musical" work Fang releases under his own name, the Sans Serif project is focused on minimalism. This project in particular is a tribute to the influential minimalist composer LaMonte Young, whose work was known for the use of long, sustained tones and alternate tunings.

Tones for LaMonte bridges the two, related worlds of avant-garde classical influence, and modern ambient drone.

Thanks to Mike for his diligence and speed in readying this CD for release. It was recorded in May and was mastered at Robert Rich's studio just a few weeks ago. I've been listening to a lot of drone music lately (Alan Lockett deserves some of the credit/blame for that:)), so this release had somewhat of an organic origin. The CD is a bit different from my prior releases, so to avoid any confusion, it's being released under a side project name, "Sans Serif."

To mark the CD's release, I've posted an unreleased track from the 'Sans Serif' sessions to the audio page of my website. I've also posted another piece there (a sketch in the form of a demo) for fun as well.

Undershadow

I've been listening to a lot of drone music lately (Alan Lockett deserves some of the credit/blame for that:))

Hey, Forrest. Well, glad to know at least SOME of my Brit droning issued in a useful outcome

I guess you may be hinting also, from your perspective as a listener, that for every Behind Your Very Eyes or Chroma to immerse yourself in, there's been a Moraines, or a Mas Memorias Extranjeras to end up being um... enmired in ;-)

I've been listening to a lot of drone music lately (Alan Lockett deserves some of the credit/blame for that:))

I guess you may be hinting also, from your perspective as a listener, that for every Behind Your Very Eyes or Chroma to immerse yourself in, there's been a Moraines, or a Mas Memorias Extranjeras to end up being um... enmired in ;-)

Yep, you got that right!;) Well, 1 Chroma or 1 Cede makes up for 10 Memorias Extranjeras! It's a fair trade-off:) I see from the Twenty Hertz page that there is a new Paul Bradley CD/DVD out. But I'll probably wait for the first adopters on this board to air their opinions first before leaping.

I've also been listening to a lot of Mirror/Andrew Chalk-related projects lately, though that can become a very expensive habit to have.

We've just received the first review of this one, from the White_Line blog:

Excerpt:

"Iím constantly blessed with surprise packages that drop through my letter box, particularly from labels whose work I havenít yet experienced, and whose artists I do not know. Hypnos is one such label, and they had the good grace to send along one or two of their fine releases for my perusal. Sans Serif is the adopted name of one Forrest Fang, a composer whose work here celebrates and emulates the late great La Monte Young. Youngís influence has been expounded my many an ersthwile minimalist composer, and here, Fang indeed does justice to his memory."

This is a wonderful cd. Every drone-loving Hypnos listener should give it a shot. The drones here are not too dark or dissonant but aren't candy coated bliss either. They have a very organic feel to them, which is what I love in minimal/drone pieces. The textures evolve & shift in subtle ways, definitely not a "hold down one key on the synth" type of drone. Excellent music that will continue to reveal itself with repeated listens.

solyaris

Thanks to Mike for his diligence and speed in readying this CD for release. It was recorded in May and was mastered at Robert Rich's studio just a few weeks ago. I've been listening to a lot of drone music lately (Alan Lockett deserves some of the credit/blame for that:)), so this release had somewhat of an organic origin. The CD is a bit different from my prior releases, so to avoid any confusion, it's being released under a side project name, "Sans Serif."

To mark the CD's release, I've posted an unreleased track from the 'Sans Serif' sessions to the audio page of my website. I've also posted another piece there (a sketch in the form of a demo) for fun as well.

Thanks for the continuing support/interest,Forrestforrestfang.com

Greetings Forrest!

I listened Mp3 clips that sound amazing !

Can I ask you what source you used ? I mean: do you used synths or these drones come from acoustic (metallic objects) processing ?

Can I ask you what source you used ? I mean: do you used synths or these drones come from acoustic (metallic objects) processing ?

Hi Giorgio,

Most of the sources were acoustic in nature (e.g., violin, marxolin, wine glasses), though that was not by design. The project was really an extension of my work on Foundry's "Bibimbap" project, where the participants tried to turn unused sounds and even partial pieces into something that sounded more interesting.

Hello also to Mirko. Thanks for picking it up. Hope that you enjoy it.

We've sold a good number of these CDs and haven't heard a peep of response yet. Anybody have any thoughts on this one?

Well, after picking up quite a few releases as of late, this one has been the most instantly rewarding. It's pretty much had a monopoly on my stereo since I took it out the mailbox.

Dave Michuda's description earlier in this thread is pretty spot on, but I'll try to add a little of my own praise on top. I haven't heard a drone release in a long time that is so accessible for my ears and mind. My use of accessible is not to be deemed as a cut down either! The sound he has built is welcoming and fun to listen to. Yet at the same time it is challenging and there are plenty of subtle shifts that gain my attention.

Also, I really enjoy the cohesiveness on display here. All the tracks fit together in the soundscape yet maintain their own aura about them. There are no surprise noise tracks or periods of dissonance to break up the vibe presented.

Tones for LaMonte just arrived at the Aerie. It is absolutely mesmerizing. Wish I had more music of this level of purity. It is very stripped down in elements but fully engaging in its sense of focus. It's great to be reminded what minimal ambient can do. Powerful, deep emotion deployed in a serene, subtle manner...